The present invention relates to vehicle mounted crash attenuators, and in particular to arrangements for facilitating transport of such crash attenuators.
Vehicle mounted crash attenuators such as those described in Leonhardt U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,959 are commonly used in highway repair and construction. Heavy vehicles such as trucks, sweepers, and other moving vehicles are positioned in front of a work zone to protect workers in the work zone from oncoming traffic. Vehicle mounted crash attenuators are mounted to face oncoming traffic, in order to protect an oncoming vehicle in the event of a collision with the truck.
Typically, such vehicle mounted crash attenuators are deployed to a horizontal position in use, and they are often pivoted to a vertical position for transport. Modern vehicle mounted crash attenuators have a substantial length, and when such a crash attenuator is pivoted to a vertical position for transport, it may extend vertically to a substantial height that prevents the vehicle from traveling under overpasses, through door openings, and the like.
The above-identified Leonhardt patent, assigned to the Assignee of the present invention, teaches a solution to this problem that involves partially collapsing the crash attenuator, thereby reducing its overall height. Other prior-art patents that disclose vehicle mounted crash attenuators that are pivoted vertically for transport include Friton U.S. Pat. No. 4,635,981, Oplet U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,732 and Unrath U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,098,767, 6,183,042, and 6,186,565.
Another prior-art approach hinges the vehicle mounted crash attenuator in two places: one adjacent to the vehicle and another near the midpoint of the crash attenuator. When fully folded, this crash attenuator includes a first portion that extends vertically upwardly adjacent the rear of the vehicle, and a second portion that extends horizontally forwardly, over the rear portion of the vehicle. The result is a crash barrier that is folded into a right angle, L-shaped configuration.
A need presently exists for an improved vehicle mounted crash attenuator that reduces the overall height of the crash attenuator in the retracted position.